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From: phw@phw5.UUCP
Newsgroups: comp.laser-printers
Subject: Re: PostScript vs DDL vs Interpress (was PostSript Printers)
Message-ID: <8704171908.AA14341@brillig.umd.edu>
Date: Wed, 15-Apr-87 08:37:48 EST
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Posted: Wed Apr 15 08:37:48 1987
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    >>Since there are few people who have actually seen an Interpress and/or DDL
    >>printer, it's hard for anyone to say anything that isn't based on some
    >>manufacturer's claim or second-hand knowledge.

    >I think Interpress printers have been on the market since 1982.
    >We got our Xerox 8046 in January, 1985.

Note that I didn't say that Interpress is new or that it's not available or
that NOBODY has it; I'm merely stating that not many people have it due to
the market's reluctance to accept it and Xerox's reluctance to market it.


    >>[...]  Xerox says that Interpress is designed for speed and is faster than
    >>PostScript.  Considering that the only version of Interpress that's
    >>available now doesn't do graphics, only text and scanned images (no
    >>vector graphics, clipping, or rotation of text), I can see why it's fast.

    >Ours does vector graphics, clipping, rotation of text, and a few other
    >things.  It does have a few weaknesses.  Text can be rotated only in
    >the case that the printer possesses pre-rotated font files.  (But how
    >often do you use fonts at rotations other than 90 degrees?)  It doesn't
    >do arbitrary curves.  Our Xerox workstation software computes the
    >arbitrary curves and uses line graphics to render them...a kludge, but
    >users don't care where the math is done.  (We use Interpress 2; not 3.)

Okay, I didn't realize that Interpress 2 was out in the general market.
I am pretty sure that Interpress 3 isn't out yet--anyone know differently?
As for rotated and special effect fonts?  We use them quite a lot.  How
does Interpress fair with halftones, etc.  We've been quite happy with
PostScript's halftoning capabilities.

   >I wouldn't say that the 8046 is a fast printer.

Fast is relative; PostScript isn't exactly a screamer!  Nobody can really
do a true benchmark of PS vs IP, since you'd have to have them implemented
on the same processor doing the same things to the same print engine.

   >I think DDL was invented mainly in the hope of chilling postscript.

Now now, I think Imagen had some good ideas to bring forth with DDL, and
I think they feel they have a superior language (which they may).  I'm sure
they did take into account the fact that having their own PDL may be less
expensive in the long run than paying royalties to Adobe for PostScript,
and that if it were to become a standard, they might make some big profits.
The problems I see with DDL are political:

  1. They sell laser printers, making them competitors with anyone that
     adopts the language.  Adobe doesn't manufacture laser printers; they
     merely design controllers for them.  Printer manufacturers still
     compete with each other when they sell PostScript printers, but they
     do that anyway; at least they don't compete directly with Adobe.
     Perhaps this is a subtle difference, but I think it's an important one.

  2. Imagen does other things than just market DDL.  For some time, Adobe
     did nothing but market PostScript.  Even now, everything they do is
     to further the acceptance of PostScript, for example, look at all the
     fonts they're doing, and look at Illustrator, which produces PostScript
     output.  Is there a comparable program for Interpress or DDL printers?
     Everything Adobe does is geared towards pushing PostScript; you can't
     say that about Imagen.

   >I sure wish Imagen would offer a Postscript emulator for the IP/II
   >series of printers.  Then (I think) we'd have the best of all worlds.

Rumor has it that Imagen is in fact developing a PostScript to DDL converter.

Pat Wood
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